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Tuesday, November 14, 2006

Turns out Chris Bosh is becoming a real leader in Toronto, as he was primarily responsible for getting TJ Ford, a fellow Texan, north of the border.

"I wanted to play with him ... we wanted to play with each other, so, I let that be known," said Bosh.

Bosh said that he told President/GM Bryan Colangelo that Ford would be a good fit for Toronto. He didn't make any demands to his new boss. The decision to make a deal with Milwaukee was entirely up to Colangelo. But the GM did consult his All Star forward before officially pulling the trigger on the deal with the Bucks.

"I just vouched for (T.J.)," said Bosh. "A closed mouth won't get fed. That's a saying back home."

And Ford couldn't be happier about the way things have worked out.

"I was excited because Chris and I had talked (over the years) about playing on the same team," he said. "If it wasn't for (Chris), I probably wouldn't be here."

Speaking of former Tech greats, how about this great article on Jarrett Jack.

But when Darius Miles, one of the highest-paid and biggest profiles on the team, went to the sideline and sat on a bench, there came a voice from the other side of the court.

It wasn't from the coach. And it wasn't from a veteran. It was from a rookie, Jarrett Jack. "I just said something to him, basically that it was bogus," Jack remembered. "I said, 'We are all out here running hard. I'm playing with an injured ankle. We are all out here playing hurt. And if what he was doing was the way it was going to be, then everyone should go sit down.' "

It wasn't anything personal, Jack said, and it wasn't anything that caused friction between him and Miles. The two had known each other since Jack was 14. Therefore Jack says he felt comfortable confronting the player whom many on the team viewed as an untouchable subject.

"I didn't think anyone was paying attention, but a couple of people came to me and were like, 'I heard what you said, and you are right,' " Jack said. "For me, I just say what I think is right. I don't do it for attention, or because I think the coach is listening. I do it because it's necessary. Somebody has to do it. And if you are right, then people won't look at you sideways."

It's one reason why few looked sideways at the Blazers this summer after they traded point guards Steve Blake and Sebastian Telfair, leaving Jack at the helm of the latest rebuilding project.

With great size (6-foot-3, 197 pounds) and steady skills, Jack not only showed he can play during his rookie season, but he also showed he can lead.

"He is not afraid of anyone, and that is a key," McMillan said. "He's not afraid to challenge his teammates. And as I told him, basically right now, this is his team. He has to lead this team."